It was Saturday night, and I was making a soirée demonstration of some new tractrix horn loudspeakers driven by 5W single-ended amps. I had two turntables: a borrowed Linn Sondek…
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Before I moved to the boat, I lived in a big old firehouse with a shiny brass pole and a red door. The fire engines were gone but it was still a boy-toy pilgrimage site. The first thing one noticed on entering was a red 356 Porsche coupe. Behind it was a black '32 Ford hot rod with a flat-head V8 and triple Strombergs. Behind that was a 1939 Lincoln convertible from some Godfather movie. On the second floor . . .
Sidebar: Contacts
DigiBit, Calle de Asura 81, 28043 Madrid, Spain. Tel: (34) 91-533-42-50. Web: www.digibit.es. US distributor: Source Systems, Ltd., San Clemente, CA 92672-6000. Tel./Fax: (949) 369-7729. Web: www.sourcesystemsltd.com.
Sharp Electronics. Tel: (800) 237-4277. Web: www.sharpusa.com
Not to mention that the M44-7 is so strong in its presentation that it upstaged any hope of my getting to know the PLX-1000 and how it might perform in a more intimate context. Imagine trying to get friendly with a sexy French film star. You don't ask her if she wants to come home and play Xbox. Instead, you smile in French and say, Avez-vous lu Simone de Beauvoir? Then take her to New York's Bouley restaurant and order some Château Cheval Blanc (1961?). I had to apply similar maneuvers to get intimate with the PLX-1000.
I couldn't afford Château Lyra (2010?), but seeking heightened…
While King Records will always be most famous as the longtime home of James Brown’s recordings, and also it’s irascible, dictatorial owner Syd Nathan (who famously recorded, pressed and packaged his records under one roof!), it’s the King R&B catalog (including Brown) that is the label’s greatest contribution to music history, Guys like Roy Brown and Wynonie Harris are as good as blues shoutin’ gets. This new compilation is selected by Colin Escott, mastered by Bob Irwin and pressed on heavy vinyl. Nice cover art too!
Maybe it’s the sound. Or the way it looks slung around your neck.…
Follow-Up: the Audioengine A2+ from April 2015 (Vol.38 No.4):
When Robert J. Reina reviewed the Audioengine A2 powered loudspeaker in the December 2007 issue, he concluded, "I have never been more impressed with or more stunned by a component I've reviewed for Stereophile than I was with the Audioengine 2. The level of sound quality produced by this uncolored, detailed, articulate, and dynamic speaker, in all situations, was beyond reproach, and its ratio of value to cost borders on the criminal."
I, too, was impressed. I bought a pair of the tiny A2s—each measures just 6" H by 4…
Crescendo Fine Audio (6760 West 38th Avenue, Wheat Ridge, CO 80033) will be hosting a digital music seminar 4:00–8:00pm on Saturday, March 14, featuring products by Dynaudio and Plinius Audio. Dynaudio representative Mick Tillman will be on hand to explain the digital technology implemented into the Dynaudio Focus XD (pictured above at the 2015 CES with Dynaudio founder Wilfried Ehrenholz) and Xeo loudspeaker ranges. These will be demonstrated with a variety of sources, showing off the speakers’ wireless and hard-wired functionality and capabilities.
Plinius representative Frank Gazzo…
The title of the Daft Punk song on the Pono Player’s screen says it all: "Give Life Back to Music." John Atkinson’s review of this little gem reveals that it is the least-expensive means of enjoying music in true high-resolution. And with reviews of a 300B SET amplifier, an affordable, big-bottomed, tower speaker, two inexpensive powered speakers that punch above their weight, and, of course, the latest edition of "Recommended Components," and you will see why we think the April 2015 issue is a keeper!
Sasha Matson: Cooperstown: Jazz Opera in Nine Innings
Julie Adams (Lilly Young), soprano; Carin Gilfry (Jan Green), mezzo-soprano; Daniel Favela (Marvin Wilder), Daniel Montenegro (Angel Corazon), tenors; Rod Gilfry (Dutch Schulhaus), baritone; Jason Rigby, saxophones; Russ Johnson, trumpets; Sean Wayland, keyboards; Rich Mollin, double bass; Gernot Bernroider, drums; Sasha Matson, conductor
Albany TROY1553/54A (2 CDs). 2015. John Atkinson, prod., mastering; Mike Marciano, eng., mix; Bill Schnee, Kenton Fukuda, engs. DDD TT: 101:63
Performance ****½
Sonics *****
Julie Adams (Lilly Young), soprano; Carin Gilfry (Jan Green), mezzo-soprano; Daniel Favela (Marvin Wilder), Daniel Montenegro (Angel Corazon), tenors; Rod Gilfry (Dutch Schulhaus), baritone; Jason Rigby, saxophones; Russ Johnson, trumpets; Sean Wayland, keyboards; Rich Mollin, double bass; Gernot Bernroider, drums; Sasha Matson, conductor
Albany TROY1553/54A (2 CDs). 2015. John Atkinson, prod., mastering; Mike Marciano, eng., mix; Bill Schnee, Kenton Fukuda, engs. DDD TT: 101:63
Performance ****½
Sonics *****
A jazz…
I've known a lot of folks with impressive LP and CD collections who were perfectly content with the sound of the crappiest of hi-fis. This diverse group has included recording engineers, musicians, and owners of record stores. Loving music isn't the same thing as caring about the sound of music, and maybe, in some alternate universe, those folks would-have-been, could-have-been audiophiles. But in this universe, they didn't, and I'm not sure why.
It's clear that we audiophiles are a different breed. We crave a deeper connection with the sound of music. We also love gear, so we're much…
This coming Thursday is a big day for audiophiles, with Stereo Exchange and Sound By Singer promoting events in New York and Apex Audio on in Denver.
From 12–7pm, Stereo Exchange (627 Broadway, Manhattan) will host its 2nd Annual Headphone Event, featuring a wide array of portable audio products from many respected and innovative brands: Auralic, AudioQuest, Astell&Kern, Audeze, Beyerdynamic, Bowers & Wilkins, Chord, Focal, Grado Labs, HiFiMan, Master & Dynamic, McIntosh Labs, NAD, PSB, Sennheiser, Sonos, Tidal, V-Moda, and more. Featured gear will include the Auralic Vega DAC…